


The god of dreams was born from a dream

by archerswriting



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Baby Time, Gen, Hypnos-Centric - Freeform, hypnos is the only parent, sometimes a family is the god of sleep his son and the whole house of hades, ya ever get so lonely that a baby pops outta your dreams
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29394630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archerswriting/pseuds/archerswriting
Summary: The House is going through a new beginning, but Hypnos feels alone still. Something strange happens as he dreams on his loneliness.
Relationships: Hypnos & Everyone
Comments: 34
Kudos: 132





	1. you remind me of the babe

It was some time after Queen Persephone returned.

Things were doing better at the House. Even before she returned, the House was going through so much change, and her return merely exacerbated said change. Bonds that were previously severed, much like the Queen’s and Lord Hades’, were being reconstructed, such as with Achilles and his lover Patroclus in Elysium, or Orpheus and his wife Eurydice. Even Zagreus and Hades were beginning to get along better, with his father smiling at him, praising his good work, for the first time in… ever. The House seemed more lively, despite its’ purposes, and the tension that previously hung in the air had all but dissipated.

It was seeing all of this from his corner of the House that made Hypnos envious.

Admittedly, he felt a bit more comfort in his relationships now than before. He could tell his twin, Thanatos, tolerated him. But he still only ever came around to discuss work, and while Hypnos appreciated being told he was doing good, he wished the two of them could just sit and talk like they used to. At one point, Hypnos attempted to catch Thanatos on one of his breaks, where he would sulk next to the administrative chamber and watch the Styx flow by. But, he could tell Thanatos wasn’t in the mood to talk (perhaps, wasn’t in the mood to talk to Hypnos specifically), so Hypnos returned to his station, the familiar feeling of rejection pooling in his stomach.

But at least Thanatos was talking to him, if only briefly. There were no strings in the world that he or Zagreus could pull that could make his mother talk to him again. Hypnos sees her, when she’s standing in her place just across the hall, beautiful and elegant without effort as she has always been. Sometimes, when he’s staring at her, longing to be held in her gentle arms again, she’ll catch his eyes, and flash a look of disapproval. There would be no words exchanged between the two, hardly even acknowledgement, but that look was always enough to make Hypnos loathe himself. If only there was something he could do, he’d think, that could make his mother proud of him. If only.

So there he laid, on a fluffed up bed he fashioned himself, surrounded by soft pillows and warm, weighted blankets, in the safety of his little hiding spot deep in Erebus, where the river Lethe briefly intersects with the river Styx, trying to hold back the tears welling in his eyes as he thought on his deep and pervasive loneliness, while the rest of the House was working everything out with one another. Hypnos knew he was expected back at the House any minute now, to resume his painfully dull “duties” (as if Sleep Incarnate was truly responsible for Hades’ list-keeping), but he was absolutely not about to phase back when he was so clearly about to cry, or even when he so clearly has finished crying. No, he thought as he grabbed one of his pillows, he’d let himself rest just for a moment before warping back to his monotonous existence.

And so Hypnos slept. And in his dreams, he grew a wide field of poppies, and imagined the sun and blue sky the shades would describe often, and let himself fall into this field as he conjured warmth unlike the heat from the flames of the Underworld. Eventually, he let go of the control he had over the dream, letting it take its’ own shape. Hypnos watched as the sun descended from the sky, becoming smaller and smaller before landing softly in his arms, only about the size of Cerberus’s ball. He laid the sun in a pile of poppies next to him, and watched as the flowers engulfed the sun whole, and in its’ place, a large poppy quickly grew from the soil, just about to bloom. As the poppy neared Hypnos’s face, it’s petals bloomed in a vibrant array of colors, and in the center of the large flower, curled peacefully on the pistil, was -

Hypnos awoke with a start, the rattling of his hourglass pulling him from his dream. He grumbled, grabbing the blasted thing and chucking it into the Lethe. It merely popped back up beside him, but at least it was no longer making that annoying damn noise. It was a gift from his brother Charon, to help him keep track of his break times, and while he appreciated the thought, a part of him also didn’t want to be reminded of his impending responsibilities to the House while he was trying to rest. Now, as he shifted in his bed trying to think on his dream, the only thing keeping him awake was the anxiety he felt as he shirked more minutes from his duties.

Upon shifting himself just a touch from the edge of his bed, his shoulders pressed into something… soft and squishy, but not in the way pillows are. Hypnos sucked in a breath - he didn’t know how, but sometimes the vermin from above found their way further into the Underworld, and for the love of all the Gods, if there was a rat in his bed, where he was just sleeping and dreaming peacefully, he was going to flip shit. He propped himself up on his elbows, and moved to slowly, Gods so slowly, pull back the blanket from where he felt the soft thing that was absolutely not a pillow.

First, he saw curls. White, cloud-like curls like his own. Well, decidedly not fur, so Hypnos pulled the rest of the blanket back less carefully. Sitting there, curled around its’ own body, sucking on a thumb with its’ eyes closed, was a baby. A baby that looked awfully like Hypnos, from the pale blue skin, to the small white wings poking out of coiled hair. Like the one that sprouted from the poppy just then in Hypnos’s dream. It sat there on his bed, snoring ever so lightly, and Hypnos didn’t know when he moved his hand to stroke the babe’s soft, round cheeks, but perhaps he didn’t quite know anything considering there was now a baby in his bed that was undeniably his.

Upon touching the baby’s cheek, it awoke, and gazed with big, golden eyes up at Hypnos. And it… smiled, cooing so slightly. _Oh._ _Oh no,_ Hypnos thought. _I’m not even responsible enough to hold down my current job, I - I couldn’t possibly - a child? Me?_ But the baby heard not his thoughts, and held onto one of Hypnos’s fingers that were still hovering over the babes’ cheek. This… was all far too much, Hypnos decided, so he found his blanket, wrapped the babe inside it, and carried it, oh so carefully, like how he remembers Nyx carrying him and Thanatos, as he warped back to the House to break the rules he and his mother had established. Because, blood and darkness, he needed guidance from his mother right now.

-

When he phased into his spot in the House, he was relieved to find Lord Hades wasn’t at his desk. Of all the people in the House, he did not want to be explaining… this, to Hades. But, while Lord Hades wasn’t there, Queen Persephone was. She was busy sorting through Hades’ various parchment work, but she smiled brightly when she saw Hypnos come in, her eyes drifting to the bundle he was holding in his arms. Clearly, the Queen didn’t need to think too long to understand what he was holding, and while her smile didn’t fall, it grew curious, as she hopped from the Master’s large desk and dashed to his side.

“Oh, uh, hi, my Queen!” Hypnos stuttered out, trying not to seem as shaken as he was. “Um, so I - I know I’m a bit late to work, but I actually really, well, need to talk to my mother?” He fell silent as she parted the blanket, revealing the face of the child that had appeared in his bed, who was now back to being fast asleep in his arms.

“Oh, Hypnos, dear,” Persephone said with such a fondness that his heart ached to hear from his own mother, as she lightly brushed the baby’s curls with her hand, “They’re beautiful, Hypnos. Oh, they look just like you when you were a babe, who-” and her gaze met Hypnos’s eyes, “Who’s the other parent? Is there one, even?”

The Queen’s loving regard threw Hypnos off for just a beat, before he shook his head. “I, uhm, I don’t, think so? See, I - I had a dream, and there was a field of poppies, and the sun fell down and it planted a big poppy? And when that poppy bloomed it had a baby inside! And, it, it was a weird dream, really weird, but then I woke up and boom! The baby’s right there beside me!” He felt like he sounded crazy, but Persephone gave an almost understanding hum.

“Nyx has told me that the birth of the Gods don’t… often make sense. I mean, do you know how the Goddess Athena was born?” She laughed, light and fuzzy, a laugh that Hypnos just had to laugh along with. “I mean,” she cleared her throat, “Even with you and your brothers, Nyx has always given me a vague statement about you all being ‘born from the darkness of night,’ which could mean many things. Perhaps, you were all birthed indirectly from her as this child was born indirectly from you?”

The explanation made sense, certainly, but Hypnos still couldn’t quite rationalize all the thoughts in his head with it. Why now? Why _him?_ Surely Thanatos, with his loving relationship with Zagreus and Megaera, would have been a better candidate. Darkness, even Charon is more prepared to be a - a father, than he is. Is that what he is? His head was now swimming in these thoughts. He’s a father now? He’s just supposed to _be_ a father now, after being told by everyone around him that he wasn’t even responsible enough to commit to his duties on the surface? When he was cut off completely from his mother? When his brothers only thought of their work?

Hypnos felt the Queen’s hand rest on his shoulder, realization hitting him that as these thoughts poured in, he had begun shaking. And, oh great, the tears were welling back in his eyes. He tried to blink them away, turning his head from Persephone in shame, but she brought up a warm hand to wipe at his eyes with her thumb.

“It’ll be alright, Hypnos.” She said, so matter-of-fact, that Hypnos couldn’t help but believe her in that moment. “Trust me, I understand - sometimes, parenthood just happens, unexpectedly, with no warning.” And she and him sat on the chaise where he usually does his work, Hypnos laying his head on her shoulder as she stroked through his curls. “But Hypnos, you have a mortal connection that most of your family lacks, you realize? You’ve seen the dreams of mortals, felt their feelings, their fears, their desires. Their love, which you tend to exude, which can come to be confusing to the rest of your family - but it’s that kind of love that’s needed to raise a child. Otherwise, you get-” But before she could finish her thought, Zagreus emerged from the pool of Styx. Persephone gestured his way to finish her statement, rolling her eyes, causing her and Hypnos to giggle softly.

Zagreus ran up in a huff, and Hypnos decided to sit up a little straighter. “Mother, I was _this_ ,” and he made a small gap between his fingers, “close to sending father back here, I swear!” He was about to continue his tangent when he noticed the bundle Hypnos was still holding. The prince blanked for a few moments, struggling to comprehend the image of Hypnos holding a baby that looked _just_ like him, before locking eyes with his mother, who was smiling fondly at the sleeping child.

“Aren’t they just precious, my son?” The Queen asked.

“I - uh, yes. Yes! Yes, they’re _adorable_ , I just,” and Zagreus fumbled with his words before landing on “Wh - Who?”

“ _Who?_ ” Hypnos repeated, snorting, as he turned to Persephone. “Who, he asks, not at all clear in any way about what ‘who’ he could possibly be referring to!” And they both laughed, although Persephone tried not to, to save her son from turning redder than he already was.

“I - I _meant_ ,” Zagreus said, clearing his throat, “Who’s the mother? Or, uh, other father, perhaps? Parent?”

“Aww, Zag, ya worried for me?” Hypnos absolutely relished in the way his face somehow turned even redder than it was before. Before he could get a word out to defend himself, Hypnos continued, “Well, no worries here, it’s just me, haha!”

Zagreus’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Just you? But, how?” So Hypnos once again explained the strange dream, and the even stranger waking result, while Persephone elaborated on what she had told Hypnos from what she had heard from Nyx.

“Oh,” the prince said, only slightly understanding what was being said. “Well, you’re not going to raise them all on your own, right? You have all of us, so no need to worry.” And he flashed a smile at Hypnos, who suddenly felt a lot more at ease with the reality of his situation. Yeah, yeah he could do this. He had people like Persephone and Zagreus, of course he could do this. And Zagreus sat on the other side of the chaise, Hypnos now in between the mother and son, and the prince looked closely at the baby in Hypnos’s arms.

“Do you want to hold them, Zagreus?” He hadn’t really thought too hard about what he just asked, but he could see the fondness in Zagreus’s eyes, which only lit up when he heard the question asked, his eyebrows up in surprise. The prince shifted eyes to his mother, who nodded, still smiling so warm and approving. The prince answered by holding his arms out, and Hypnos helped lay the baby correctly, making sure Zagreus was supporting the neck, and blood and darkness, Hypnos had never seen him be so fragile about anything before. The baby remained asleep, snoring softly, chest slowly rising up, and falling down, and Zagreus looked as though he was about to cry as he held them.

From the hallway, the three spotted the Lord of the House turn to enter the main hall, his eyes quickly eyeing the child now in Zagreus’s arms. Hades sauntered over to the three of them, kneeling in front of Zagreus to look closely at the child, and Gods, his mere hand was the size of the baby’s whole body. But, he too was being careful, in a way that was much uncharacteristic (but definitely not unwelcome), as he parted wispy white curls to view the child’s face. Zagreus quickly explained that no, this was not his baby, Hypnos just offered to let him hold it, father please don’t get the wrong idea, to which Hades responded with a low chuckle, patting Zagreus on the head. Then he looked to Hypnos. He said nothing, merely nodded, and squeezed one of Hypnos’s hands.

 _Yeah_ , Hypnos thought. _Things are going to be okay._


	2. uh oh sisters! *dissociates*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hypnos learns more about his child, and so do his brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick TW, but also SPOILERS: Near the end, Hypnos swings into a panic attack, so please be aware if that's something that may be upsetting! :^0

From the dreams of mortals, Hypnos had always figured babies were fussy and difficult. Even Nyx had told him, before they stopped talking, that he, Thanatos, and Zagreus could be rather troublesome when they were young. Well, as young as gods could be. But, his little child, they just slept. Hypnos had set them on the chaise, wrapped in his weighted blanket and dozing peacefully, while he floated above it, doing his lists. The procession of shades he was tasked with accounting for seemed more hushed than usual, perhaps from their mortal experiences of waking sleeping children, making Hypnos’s job a lot easier, as the shades were quick to get in all of their necessary details instead of wasting time with ranting.

Eventually, his hourglass rang for one of his short breaks. While it was usually a sound he enjoyed hearing in that context, Hypnos very swiftly silenced it, looking down at his child worriedly to check for signs of wakefulness. But no, much like their father, the baby slept deeply, cooing slightly in response to the sudden noise, but otherwise unbothered.

Hypnos let out a sigh of relief, floating downwards to kneel next to the chaise, laying his head beside his resting child. He extended a finger to one of the baby’s curled fists, who sleepily grabbed hold of his father, making Hypnos smile in complete loving adoration. Though this was one of his shorter breaks, he didn’t think Hades would fault him for spending the little time to rest with his child, which was his thought process as he fell asleep, gazing at his sleeping baby.

As he transcended reality into the realm of dreams, he felt a presence nearby. Hypnos was wondering if he might be able to see his child in the dreamscape, especially considering this is where they were born, and he noticed the surroundings were the same as he had left it - a field of poppies, a blue sky absent of a sun, but a world not lacking it’s warmth. Hypnos quickly singled out the larger poppy out of the rest, though the pistil where the baby was initially curled up was now… empty.

He’d be lying if Hypnos said he didn’t briefly panic, before remembering that this was  _ his _ domain. He had already felt and pinpointed the presence of the child - all he had to do was find him in the field of poppies. As he thought that to himself, he heard a giggle nearby, somewhere behind him, and as he turned to look, he saw a section of poppies that were rustling, clearly hiding something. Someone, rather, Hypnos thought, as he laughed lightly and walked quietly over to the disturbance.

“Hello?” Hypnos called softly, almost singing the greeting, “Well, what could this be?” And as he reached the section of poppies, the stirring stopped, but now that he was closer, it was oh so obvious that there was a little being trying to hide from him within. Hypnos kneeled and parted the poppies, coming face to face with his child - but something was different. The child he left in the waking world was merely a baby, hadn’t even said a word yet, however this one, while still clearly the same child, with their white curls and pale skin and big golden eyes, was more… what did mortals call them, Hypnos thought. Toddlers? Still a child, but not a baby.

As Hypnos was lost in thought, the child giggled. “Hi papa!” they said, and oh, that snapped Hypnos out of his thoughts. He was slowly coming to accept that he was now in a position of fatherhood, but wow, to be called that by his child… that was something else.

“H - hi!” Hypnos responded, “Wow, you look much more grown here! Are you…” and he thought of how to phrase his words, “... Aging, like, differently here? In this dreamscape?”

The child giggled again and shook their head, aggressively. “Nope! Nono, I just wanted to talk to you, papa!” And the child rose from the poppies and moved to sit in their father’s lap. Hypnos held them close in turn, planting a kiss to their soft forehead. “See, because I’m just a baby out there, I can’t talk to you! And that makes me sad! But I can make myself not-a-baby here! And talk to you! Until I can talk to you while we’re awake too!” And the child smiled, clearly proud of their work, and their smile was so bright and warm Hypnos couldn’t help but smile back, nuzzling the top of their head.

“Well, aren’t you a smart little godling?” Truly, Hypnos couldn’t contain his pride. What a sharp child he had! Able to form themself in such a way in their dreams, able to articulate already, Hypnos just wanted to shower them in praise. His child responded with laughter, and wrapped their small arms around Hypnos’s neck, who hugged them back softly.

They sat like that for a moment, Hypnos feeling his child yawn against his shoulder. He moved a hand up to stroke through their unruly curls, just reveling in the calmness between the two of them, making silent vows to protect his child from the horrors of the world.

Usually, in most cases, dreams were works of fiction. They were influenced by the realities of the waking world, but ultimately were not real, and had no bearing on the day-to-day activities of those who have them, outside of perhaps being an interesting talking point. But for Hypnos, dreams have always been real. The way that he interacted with dreams was meaningful and purposeful, and his impact was always intentional. When he was young and would dream with his brothers - that was real. Hypnos would create places of play for them, where they would rejoice in each other’s company, unbothered by the burdens of the waking world, but the feelings were still raw. Thanatos would awaken remembering the details of the dream Hypnos had so finely crafted for them, the time they spent together, and that was not wasted time, as it is often with those who dream.

This time, right now, that Hypnos was spending cradling his child in his arms, humming soft lullabies, even though he doesn’t remember when he began to hum, was no different. It was real, it was raw. And Hypnos felt so full of love in that moment, love that he had not felt in a long time. Love that he had missed feeling. And in that moment, Hypnos decided Queen Persephone was right. This love, the love he felt in that moment, was what was needed for this child, and by the gods above and below, he would provide it.

The moment slowly passed as the child unwrapped their arms from Hypnos’s neck, looking up at their father, clearly pondering something.

“What is it, my child?” Hypnos asked, softly, and he was almost taken aback by how similar, he realized, he sounded to his mother.

The child blinked. “Well, I was kind of wondering! Papa, what is my name?” And they looked up at Hypnos with such innocent curiosity, and Hypnos almost felt warm at the realization that he had not given his child a name yet. Not that he hadn’t put any thought into it at all, far from the truth - there was just a few names Hypnos liked and he couldn’t quite decide before, looking at his child in the waking world. But, there was something about seeing them now, just a little more grown, still looking at him with round golden eyes, but with something more… substantial. Something Hypnos could work with, as he didn’t hesitate to answer his child’s question.

“Morpheus,” Hypnos said, and delighted in the way their eyes lit up. “Your name is Morpheus. Son of Hypnos, the god of Sleep.” And as he said this, he found himself wondering what his son’s aspect may come to be, but cut off his line of thinking as Morpheus giggled in excitement, still sitting in his lap.

“Morpheus! Morpheus, I’m Morpheus!” He exclaimed so joyously, so happily, Hypnos of course smiled with him, and Morpheus wrapped his arms around his neck again. “I like that name! Thank you papa!”

Hypnos chuckled, placing another kiss on his son’s head. “Of course, Morpheus. Very fortunate for me that I can ask you whether or not you like your name! Oh, imagine if I named you something you hated!” And they both giggled at that, perhaps or perhaps not causing the wind of the dream to pick up slightly, carrying poppy petals into the air. Morpheus gasped in awe at the red petals now dancing in the wind, and let go of his father to hop around, trying to catch the middair petals. Hypnos continued to sit in the poppy field, watching his son play around with shameless affection. Until he heard a familiar voice calling his name from “outside.”

“H...nos? ...p...os?”

Morpheus sighed, now holding a pile of poppy petals, and falling into his father’s lap. “I think that’s uncle Than,” he said, seemingly upset by the fact that they were being awakened. “I think? I haven’t met him yet!” And then his eyes seemed to glow bright as he looked up at Hypnos. “Can I meet uncle Than, papa?” And Hypnos chuckled, nodding his head in response as the two awoke.

-

Admittedly, Hypnos was a tad upset that he was being awoken before his hourglass had even gone off. But, he had sent for Thanatos (who was at work), Charon (also at work), and Nyx (visiting grandparent master Chaos), only telling them in his messages that there was something he wanted them to see back at home. And with Thanatos being here now, well… He  _ was _ probably wondering about the baby his twin brother was sleeping next to. So Hypnos awoke slowly, deciding to spare Thanatos from his wrath this time around.

“Hypnos? I received your message,” Thanatos, as usual, wasn’t even really letting Hypnos rub his eyes and get his bearings, but Hypnos thought it was rather cute. “You wanted to show me something? And Charon, and mother?”

Hypnos nodded, smiling, and letting out a yawn before he spoke. “Yep! Are they here yet? Honestly, I’d rather not explain it multiple times, but I get if you all can’t be here at once!” And Hypnos shrugged with a laugh, but when he looked to Thanatos, he realized he was eyeing little Morpheus, who was now stirring around in Hypnos’s blanket, back to being a baby. Well, not that he had changed in the waking world, but Hypnos wondered how long it would take for him to get used to two different Morpheus’s. Morphei? He shook his head - now was not the time to be thinking of the plural of his sons’ name.

Before Hypnos could explain, Thanatos just barely muttered out, “Is that… a baby?” Barely even a whisper, and his face was stricken with shock as he stared down at the baby who was also staring up at him with bright golden eyes. Hypnos smiled down at Morpheus, remembering their dream, and picked him up to cradle in his arms.

“Thanatos,” Hypnos started, floating closer to his twin brother to show him his son, “This is my son, Morpheus. Morpheus, this is your uncle, Thanatos.” And upon hearing that, Morpheus made a coo of delight, reaching a small hand upwards towards his uncle, who still looked down at the boy in confusing awe.

Thanatos shook his head, trying to blink away the shock, and he looked at Hypnos, mouth agape and trying to form words, who could just see all the questions he had written across his face. Before he could ask, Hypnos told him of his strange dream, and of the stranger result of said dream, and assured Thanatos that there was no other party involved, no sir. Thanatos only stared at his twin brother, and Hypnos suddenly got a creeping feeling and anxiety over the possibility of disappointment from him. He opened his mouth to say more, to possibly justify what has happened, but he couldn’t force anything to come out, a familiar lump forming in the back of his throat as Thanatos continued to just  _ stare _ at him.

But before the tears could form in Hypnos’s eyes and before the shame completely overtook him, he was suddenly wrapped in the big arms of his brother. He heard another giggle from Morpheus between them, clearly enjoying being sandwiched betwixt his father and his uncle, and Hypnos let his head rest on Thanatos’s shoulder, a smile forming on his lips. And from his other side, where Thanatos laid his head on his shoulder, he felt… a wetness.  _ Tears? _ Hypnos thought,  _ From Thanatos? _ And his suspicions were confirmed as Thanatos pulled away, rubbing his eyes with his arm, giving Hypnos maybe the dopiest smile he’s ever seen on his twin, which made him smile wider.

“It… it’s weird. Yes, it’s certainly strange,” Thanatos said, still smiling, “One can never know the designs of the Fates, right? Even their own siblings. But, blood and darkness, Hypnos, you’re a father! I - I’m an uncle!” Hypnos nodded excitedly at Thanatos’s revelation, as his twin grabbed him softly by his arms, stroking with his thumbs, and gods, Hypnos can’t remember the last time he had felt this kind of comfort from his brother. Thanatos looked down again at Morpheus, holding out a clawed-gloved hand (carefully, of course), and watched delightedly as the baby held onto one of his fingers, cooing with joy.

“Oh good, haha, he likes you!” Hypnos giggled, “For a second I was kind of worried you’d scare him to tears!” Thanatos gave Hypnos a playful smack upside the head, which caused Morpheus to laugh loud and cheerful, causing both brothers to laugh in turn.

“Hypnos, he’s so wonderful,” Thanatos muttered, and Hypnos just barely heard it, but he did, and found himself grinning from ear to ear. Who knew all it took to crack his twin’s rough exterior was a baby? Certainly not Hypnos, yet here he was, watching his usually cold brother, the personification of Death, dote lovingly on his newborn nephew, who was very much enjoying the attention, cooing little noises in response to Thanatos’s affections.

But Hypnos couldn’t really shake the doubts still lingering in his head.

“Do you think I’ll be a good father?” He thought he’d whispered it, hells, Hypnos didn’t even realize he’d said it, but there was no getting any such things past his twin, who looked up at him, the look of shock returned. He was going to backtrack on his question, tell Thanatos to forget it, but his brother cradled Hypnos’s head in his hands, having them look each other in the eye.

“Hypnos.” Thanatos started, and he had that tone of grave seriousness he was more known for, and Hypnos kind of wanted to look away from his brother’s intense gaze, but also couldn’t tear his eyes away. “Hypnos. Hypnos, listen to me.” And Hypnos wanted to tell him he was listening loud and clear, but he continued, “I don’t  _ think _ you will. I  _ know _ you will, Hypnos, understand? You  _ will _ .”

Hypnos could hear that from the Queen. He could hear it from Zagreus, from Hades, anyone in the House or the whole world. But he just heard this confirmation, this  _ affirmation _ , that yes, he  _ would _ do well, from his twin brother, and Hypnos felt a flooding in his heart, an acceptance that, no matter who may doubt him, he had Thanatos, his twin, his heart, in his corner. Thanatos believed in him, and he made sure Hypnos knew so. He felt his solitary wing flap in undeniable joy, his face flushed with cerulean, and perhaps tears were now forming in his eyes, but Hypnos could safely say they were from a place of happiness.

Holding Morpheus in his arms, and with the tears welling in his eyes, Hypnos struggled to tell Thanatos how thankful he was to hear that, how deeply he appreciated it, but Thanatos stroked at his cheeks with his thumbs, smiling at his twin softly, and Hypnos knew that he could say all of that, but Thanatos knew. Thanatos pulled him gently into another embrace, and Hypnos thought out a quiet prayer of gratefulness to his sisters, wherever they were, that they allowed this to happen. 

They stood there like that for some time, just enjoying each other’s comfort, with the occasional coo from Morpheus between them, when the brothers felt a soft tapping on their heads. The two separated, and behind Thanatos stood Charon, and the source of the previous tapping, his wooden oar. Hypnos floated beside Thanatos in front of their older brother, gesturing to Morpheus in his arms.

Hypnos had joked with Thanatos about him scaring Morpheus, but if he was being honest with himself, he wondered whether or not Morpheus would actually be scared of Charon. While his body was more… body-like, his face had a distinct bone-like structure, reminiscent of the skeletons walking around Asphodel, very different from the twins. Fortunately, this did not seem to deter the baby, as Charon looked down at Morpheus curiously, tilting his head to the side with a groan of interest, and Morpheus responded with a playful laugh, reaching up to Charon as he did Thanatos. Charon played absentmindedly with Morpheus while Hypnos explained the situation as he did to Thanatos, really only getting the occasional nod from Charon, who, as far as Hypnos could tell, was entirely distracted by Morpheus. 

Hypnos decided to introduce the two officially, floating a little higher to match Charon’s height so that he and Morpheus could properly see one another. “Charon, this is my son, Morpheus,” and Morpheus let out a long coo, which Charon… giggled at? Was that a giggle? Hypnos couldn’t quite tell, but continued, “Morpheus, this is your other uncle, Charon. Can you say hi?” And at that, both Morpheus and Charon made sounds of acknowledgement, Charon attempting to say ‘hello,’ while Morpheus cooed in the boatman’s direction.

Thanatos stepped in. “Charon, you sure seem to be… nonchalant, about this.” Charon waved a hand in dismissal, groaning a ‘fa’ sound, as if to insinuate he also understands the whims of the Fates are not to be understood, merely observed. It could be hard to get an expression reading off of their older brother, but as Charon looked back down at Morpheus, dangling his fingers in front of him as Morpheus attempted to catch them, Hypnos was sure Charon’s expression was that of joy, and that the occasional light groan was indeed their brother trying to laugh as he played with his nephew.

Just seeing his brothers interacting with his son in such a genuine and sweet way was enough to make Hypnos feel like he could combust with love. Knowing even more that they were supporting him, that they wanted him to succeed, further fueled that - but he was struck by the realization that the hard part is yet to come, as he heard the Elder Sigil from the administrative chambers activate. And Hypnos went cold.

Thanatos seemed to hear it too, perking up and looking in the direction of the chamber. “That must’ve been mother,” he said, as though each word didn’t pierce into Hypnos’s entire being, “She’ll definitely want to meet little Morpheus here-” Thanatos cut himself off as he gazed back at Hypnos, who suddenly seemed very distant, just out of it, not quite in the House anymore. Hypnos vaguely felt one of Thanatos’s hands on his shoulder, one of Charon’s on the other, and he could tell they were trying to speak to him, but it wasn’t quite getting through. He also hazily picked up on Morpheus cooing, almost sounding worried, and he wanted to comfort his son so badly, but Hypnos just. Couldn’t.  _ Move _ .

He was led over to his chaise, where he was sat down by his brothers, who both seemed very concerned over his sudden change in demeanor purely from hearing the Elder Sigil. Really, Hypnos wasn’t even sure why he was having a reaction like this. He asked his mother to come, from the beginning he had plans to seek her out, and even if he hadn’t, Nyx would be apart of this eventually. But, for some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he did  _ not _ want his mother, his own mother, anywhere near his son.

As Nyx turned the corner into the Hall, Hypnos, Morpheus still in his arms, quickly phased to Erebus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself while writing this that I was going to try my hardest not to include angst, but y'all, this specific family is RIPE with angst potential, so I caved a bit u3u ...  
> Oh, also thanks so much for all the kind comments on the first chapter!! I think I responded to everyone but for real, that was such a nice thing to wake up to that I had to go ahead and continue the story :'^D NEXT CHAPTER... ~nyx~


	3. hey how was that blackout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hypnos, with the help of his brothers, talks with his mother.

Hypnos hadn’t even realized he had warped.

It felt like a moment of blindly following his instincts. He heard the noise, felt her distinct presence just around the corner, and somehow it felt unbearable. The Hall was long and wide, much accommodating for Lord Hades’ large stature and the attendance of the many shades, but at that moment, it all felt as though it was closing in around Hypnos, suffocating him, leaving him breathless and cut off from his ability to think. 

He had entered mortals’ dreams where they felt similar. Something occurred in their waking lives, and it would just seem to throw them off completely, awakening dormant feelings or memories that they had to find some reprieve from. Many mortals, Hypnos found, escaped to their dreams when this happened, and he was always more than willing to let them spend a night not having to think of it. He’d never thought he’d ever experience something so similar, a situation where his throat closed around him, and the hands on his shoulders from his brothers that were there in an attempt to comfort would feel rather like shackles restraining him.

When he warped to his space in Erebus, it was always on his bed, and Hypnos was grateful more than ever for this. He laid there, vaguely remembering he had taken Morpheus with him, his son still in his arms, and moved to place him on the bed spaced slightly from him. Not that he didn’t want Morpheus there, Gods far from, but at that moment, the pressure his son was placing on his chest, that was usually so light and unnoticeable, felt like a Skull-crusher repeatedly hammering into his ribs. 

Hypnos locked eyes briefly with his son, who had small droplets in his eyes, looking at his father as though he was watching his world crumbling apart. And in all honesty, Hypnos really did feel that way, in that moment. But he hated,  _ hated _ seeing the tears forming in Morpheus’s eyes. That wasn’t  _ fair _ , his son shouldn’t have to worry about his father, shouldn’t be providing comfort to Hypnos, it should be the other way around, damnit! So, despite the crushing sensation ruining his chest and the boulder-sized lump blocking his throat, Hypnos wiped the tears from his eyes, and laid an arm over Morpheus, resting his hand in the baby’s curls.

“H-hey, Morphy,” Hypnos could barely form the words, but he had to push through, had to be strong for his son. What kind of a father was he if he couldn’t? “It’s - it’s alright, I’m alright, and so are you, o-okay? Papa just…” And he felt tears welling again at the thought of trying to  _ explain _ what just happened, his vision becoming blurry, but he sucked in a breath and continued. “Papa just… got s-scared. That’s all.”  _ Was that it? _ he thought, and Morpheus cooed curiously as if to ask the same thing. Truly, Hypnos didn’t know if that was what it was, but he felt like he needed to throw out  _ something _ to describe what this whole clusterfuck is about.

Lost in his thoughts and eyes blurring again, Hypnos failed to notice Morpheus reaching up a small hand to his face, where his son placed it on his cheek, which Hypnos realized had a tear rolling down it. He wasn’t able to think much longer on that however, unable to berate himself for betraying himself in front of his son like that, because he felt the familiar pull of sleep, the kind of pull he usually only felt when he casted it on himself. As the peace of sleep washed over him and his eyes grew heavy, Hypnos couldn’t help but smile softly at Morpheus, who had successfully lulled his father to sleep. Really, what a smart and intelligent son he was gifted, was his last thought as Hypnos let sleep overcome him, Morpheus swiftly following.

-

Thanatos had never seen Hypnos so sullen.

The space between he and Charon where they sat on the chaise, attempting to comfort Hypnos just a moment ago, was now empty, his twin brother having disappeared in a way that Thanatos was more accustomed to he himself doing. Charon and Thanatos were now left there, passing each other incredibly concerned glances at what just occurred, but Thanatos’s gaze shifted to the figure behind Charon, who had just stepped from the hallway, their mother Nyx. Charon followed his gaze, turning to also acknowledge Nyx, who was staring at the two just as perplexed as they were. After a moment of silence, Thanatos figuring the three of them were trying to figure out what to say, their mother spoke first, voice calm and level, in contrast with her expression and the situation at hand.

“That was Hypnos just now, yes?” And she waited to receive confirmation from her other two sons. Thanatos nodded, and Charon groaned a sound of affirmation. Nyx cast her gaze downward. “He… sent a message. I believe you two also received it? He had something he wanted to show us,” and she turned her gaze back at the two brothers, “Did he show you? Before he left, just now?”

Oh, Thanatos wanted to tell his mother all about it. About Morpheus, about Hypnos’s weird dream, about how he was an uncle now and - oh! - Nyx was a grandmother as well! But before he could open his mouth to tell Nyx all about it, he was silenced by a hand in front of his face. Charon instead groaned out a few syllables, phrases that really only their mother could decipher, and when he finished, Thanatos caught, for just a brief moment, a look of frustration flash across Nyxs’ face.

“He has shown you,” Nyx repeated slowly, “But you wish not to tell me? Ah,” and she laced her fingers together, “Are you worried of forsaking his trust? Or do you believe it to be his responsibility to be the one to tell me?” More groans from Charon, which Thanatos could barely make out as leaning toward the latter reason. Nyx nodded, seeming to accept this answer, but Thanatos couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a lingering disappointment that she wouldn’t know so soon.

“Very well,” Nyx responded, “I will ask him about it when he gets back, then.” And she drifted over to her spot in the House.

Thanatos couldn’t help but feel confused. Was this really so much of a secret? He moved to ask Charon about it, but once again, he was silenced by his older brother, who groaned and gestured towards his oar. Thanatos blinked. “You, uh… Want me to meet you at the dock?” And Charon nodded, standing from the chaise and floating out of the House. Thanatos watched him exit, still confused, before teleporting to the dock just outside the House, where he then saw Charon now floating toward him.

“So, what was that about?” Thanatos asked, irritability lining his words as Charon stepped onto his boat, planting his oar in the river. Charon turned back to look at Thanatos, who was still hovering on the dock, and the boatman nodded his head towards the boat, as if asking Thanatos to ride with him. Thanatos sighed, arms crossed, but he floated over to the boat and sat down anyway. When he seemed to be in a steady position, Charon arced the oar, pushing off from the dock and navigating the river “waters.”

Thanatos really didn’t like not having the answers he demanded, but it had also been some time since he had been on his brother’s boat, and he found himself leaning slightly off the edge, watching the souls pass by the river Styx, as he does often in the House. He wasn’t quite sure where Charon was leading him, perhaps maybe just somewhere they could communicate easier, but he trusted his brother, as much as he knew he probably shouldn’t considering all of his, what he calls, “business.”

Watching the river, Thanatos had the feeling they were going somewhat faster than usual, and it became clear that Charon had a very particular destination in mind, although he wasn’t sure how long it would be before they would get there. Not that he was going to ask - Charon had always disliked questions along the lines of “are we there yet?”, Thanatos thinking back to when Hypnos and he were younger, and while Hypnos mostly just slept, Thanatos could absolutely not sit still. Those boat rides could be downright torturous for little Thanatos, and he would often end up waking up Hypnos so he could have some company, or Hypnos would pull him into a dream and they’d play there. 

Thinking of Hypnos and watching the river, which was slowly becoming the Lethe, made Thanatos’s mind wander. Hypnos had always, from when they were very little, had a pretty tight grasp on his aspect. So why was he not on the surface more often? It was honestly something that bothered Thanatos - he valued his work, and wished that Hypnos would value his work as much as he did, but he also wondered if the work Hypnos was in charge of back at the House was really work he was  _ meant _ to be doing. 

Most likely not, he understood, but if that was the case, what, or who, was holding him back from doing his duties on the surface? Mother Nyx, and some need to see hard proof that his twin was indeed “responsible?” Hypnos himself, perhaps out of fear of failure? Lord Hades maybe, who possibly didn’t actually see Hypnos as expendable, and preferred his method of list-taking? Hells, was there something Thanatos was doing to keep Hypnos locked down?

He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts from his head. Perhaps he could ask Hypnos about it sometime instead, he replaced his thoughts with, and maybe Thanatos could set a night aside to bring Hypnos to the surface with him. He’d have to get approval from Mother Nyx and Lord Hades of course, but Hypnos has been doing so well recently. Surely they would agree. Surely there was no sinister intentions behind Hypnos’s position at the House. Surely.

Thanatos rubbed his face, groaning in frustration, and went back to focusing on the river, now fully the Lethe. Gazing at his surroundings however, it was abundantly clear they were not in Elysium, rather the brothers were in Erebus, where they and most of their siblings made their dwellings -

Oh. Oh wait.

“Charon, are you taking us to see Hypnos?” And admittedly Thanatos felt completely dense as he asked, but Charon nonetheless turned to him and nodded affirmatively anyway, Thanatos not really sensing any judgement coming from his brother. 

The paddling of Charon’s oar slowed as the boat approached a small outcropping in the darkness, which the fog of the Lethe lapped into, creating a layer of mist on the floor. Outside of this den, bright red poppies bloomed, a harsh contrast against the overall darkness, and they seemed to lead further into the cave. Charon anchored the boat here, stepping out of the boat and into the dark cave, Thanatos following closely behind. Sure, he knew this realm is where his siblings found their dwellings, and he had found one for himself as well, but Thanatos had never been to any of his siblings’ homes before. The thought of it felt… invasive, in a way, and he really hoped Hypnos wouldn’t mind seeing them here.

The two followed the trail of poppies into a large, round room, dark black and red curtains draping every which-way, a small and shallow moat filled with the waters of the Lethe outlining the center of the room, and on an island within the moat was a spacious and incredibly comfortable-looking bed, surrounded by pillows big and small, and enclosed with even more curtains, although these were mostly see-through. Charon and Thanatos floated over to the bed, parting curtains around them and spotting two sleeping figures in the bed - Hypnos and Morpheus. And Hypnos, Thanatos noticed, instinctively running a hand over his twin’s cheek, had been crying. 

A sharp pain stabbed through his chest as Thanatos swept curls from Hypnos’s face.  _ He _ was supposed to be the dark and moody brother, Thanatos thought, Hypnos should just be… happy. Not saddened by anything, and he wondered what exactly it was that made his twin so upset before their mother appeared. Hypnos was always cheerful and forgiving, and obviously Thanatos didn’t think he was like that  _ all _ the time, but honestly, seeing his brother look so distant, so absent… It scared Thanatos, and all he wanted to do was wrap up next to Hypnos like he used to and ask him what was wrong, let his brother just tell him everything, even if whatever he had to say cut him personally.

As he was absentmindedly parting curls and letting his mind wander, Thanatos hadn’t noticed Hypnos starting to stur, until he heard his twin groan, face scrunched up as he stretched his arms outward and let his eyes flutter open. Hypnos sat there, staring at Morpheus, who was still asleep next to him, slowly breathing in and out. Thanatos didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Charon groaned next to him, saying something directed at Hypnos, and blood and darkness, Thanatos really wished they had just let Hypnos rest. 

But Hypnos seemed to know they were there, and turned himself lazily to look up at his two brothers, soft smile on his face. He blinked, stretched again, attempted to wipe the sleep from his eyes, yawned, and Thanatos almost thought it looked a little… dramatic. As though Hypnos was being playful. He shook his head, although couldn’t help the smile creeping on his face, and sat on the large bed next to Hypnos. Charon made his way to the other side, sitting beside Morpheus.

“Aw, did you two come all this way to see little ol’ me?” Hypnos teased, though his voice was still groggy from sleep. He propped himself on his elbows, moving to put himself in a sitting position to be more eye-level with his brothers. Charon groaned responsively, and Hypnos sat his face on a hand, taking bits and pieces from what Charon communicated, much like Thanatos. After a moment of continuous groaning, Charon seemed to get frustrated, and gestured to Thanatos to take the wheel. At least, Thanatos interpreted it that way, and Hypnos shifted his gaze to his twin.

“I - uh,” Thanatos started, “I’m not quite sure what Charon told you, but, we wanted to make sure you were okay, Hypnos.” And he eyed Charon to get confirmation that he also agreed with the statement, who groaned affirmatively.

Hypnos hummed. “Can I be honest, Than?” Thanatos had never nodded to a question so quickly, he felt as though he might’ve snapped his neck, but that was neither here nor there at the moment. Hypnos sighed. “I’ve been… asking myself that as well.” He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, seeming to formulate the right words. “I think… and, I know this sounds bad, but I just… I really didn’t want Morpheus around mother. Or - or mother around Morpheus, rather.” And Hypnos shifted his gaze away from Thanatos, looking forward into empty space, and for a moment, Thanatos was scared his brother would become distant again, so he quickly went to say something to keep him grounded.

“W-well, why do you think that is, Hypnos?” Thanatos wanted to smack himself, worried that he came off far too accusatory. But if that was the case, Hypnos didn’t pick up on it, shrugging in response before coming up with an answer.

“I think…” His voice was almost a whisper now, Thanatos had to lean closer to hear Hypnos. “I was… cut off, so young, Thanatos. I get it, we had to be independent and all that, but I think I had… needs. Maybe more mortal-like needs, Queen Persephone said she thinks because I’ve been able to travel through mortal dreams since I was little, I may have absorbed more mortal desires?” And he gazed at Thanatos, who nodded, letting Hypnos know he understood what was being said. 

Hypnos continued, “I… I don’t think it’s mother’s fault, per say. She raised us the only way she knew, I just… don’t think that’s enough for Morpheus. If it wasn’t enough for me...” At the last statement, Hypnos paced his words slowly, and Thanatos could tell he was trying hard not to be outright disrespectful towards their mother. But Thanatos found, surprising himself, he didn’t really mind this time around. Charon groaned, more of a low grumble if anything, and before Thanatos could give him the stink-eye for what he thought was a negative response to Hypnos’s answer, he noticed Charon place an arm around Hypnos’s shoulder, rubbing lightly at pale blue skin in a comforting manner. 

Thanatos hated that he understood. Hated that it had come to a point where even their mother’s mere presence could cause Hypnos panic. Was their relationship truly so far gone? An appreciation settled in his gut that his twin had been so forgiving with him in comparison, that he was willing to let Thanatos rebuild the bridges that he had burned. He found himself wondering, could those bridges be rebuilt for Hypnos and their mother? Or had the valley between them become so wide, that nothing could be done for them?

The three sat in that uncomfortable silence for some time, and to Thanatos it felt like ages. The only sounds he heard were Morpheus, still snoring lightly in his sleep, and the occasional graze of Charon’s hand over Hypnos’s skin. Besides that, he was overwhelmed by his own thoughts, mind running through all the things that could be done, all the things that could’ve been done, but ultimately Thanatos understood that was not up to him. This was between Hypnos and Nyx, and as much as the thought pained him, Hypnos was not the first or only child of Nyx that may cut her off entirely. Eris, Ker, the Fates, Moros - all their other siblings as well, really, never interacted much with their mother. Hemera, perhaps, during the moments where day and night intersect? But Thanatos shook his head, his mind wandering too far.

He sighed, resting his head atop Hypnos’s curls. “So… what now?” Thanatos had shut his eyes, remembering how soft Hypnos had always been with him, and he felt a hand skim his cheek, palm smooth and uncalloused, long fingers stroking through his straightened hair, and  _ oh _ , Thanatos missed being held by his twin. He recalled the last time was… the Sisyphus incident, and that was simultaneously the last time he’d ever seen Hypnos so angry, so full of rage. Hypnos had never hesitated when it came to Thanatos, and Thanatos could only wonder why that was, after his treatment of him.

Hypnos hummed below him, still brushing through his hair, and Thanatos questioned to himself if Hypnos felt just as content and whole in this moment as he did. “Well…” And Hypnos paused another beat before answering, “I can’t try to avoid mother, hm? I mean, she’s literally around the corner from my work station,” and he chuckled softly, “I’ll definitely have to talk with her eventually, and preferably sooner than later, yea? But… I’m still debating on what to say.” And Hypnos glanced upwards at Charon and Thanatos, who opened his eyes and straightened at the shift of Hypnos’s head (and he was not pouting, he told himself, especially not because Hypnos had lowered his hand). “Do you two… have any ideas? I mean, I don’t want to hurt her feelings, or make her mad at me, but I would rather her… not see Morpheus, for now.”

Thanatos mumbled, and Charon groaned. This wasn’t Thanatos’s predicament, he knew that, but he still felt incredibly sorry for his brother, as Thanatos couldn’t imagine, and frankly didn’t want to imagine, a scenario where he would be having that kind of conversation with their mother. But, Hypnos asked for advice, and he felt it would be rude to just leave his question hanging in the air, so Thanatos thought.

“If it were me…” He started, “Well… I’d probably just be honest. And yes Hypnos, honesty is often harsh.  _ You _ taught me that,” and Thanatos bumped his forehead against his twins’, recalling the two’s heart-to-heart when they decided to work on their relationship. “But, it’s also what needs to be heard most of the time. And I think mother needs to hear this.” As Thanatos finished, Charon groaned affirmatively, squeezing Hypnos’s shoulder softly. 

Hypnos sighed, nodding in response. “Yea. Honesty, just be honest. I mean, it’s not like I’ll be wrong if I’m honest, I won’t be lying about anything because, well, honesty.” Thanatos couldn’t suppress a small chuckle at his brother’s bluntness, and he placed a hand on Hypnos’s back, just below his neck, bumping slightly with Charon’s arm. Hypnos looked up at the two, lacing his fingers together nervously. “Will you… I mean, maybe one of you, at least, can you, maybe stay? At the House? While I talk with mother?”

Charon immediately looked to Thanatos, but really, Thanatos figured he was going to stay and listen in anyway. Just in case, he told himself. “Charon’s busy with his… you know, his ‘business.’” And Thanatos made air quotes as he punctuated ‘business,’ getting a laugh out of Hypnos and a glare from Charon, as he continued. “But, I can spare a few moments. Would you like to head back now? Mother tends to space out her visits with Master Chaos.” Hypnos hummed, and nodded, grabbing Morpheus, who was still asleep, and rising from the bed, Thanatos and Charon following suit. 

Thanatos and Hypnos both planned on just warping into the House, but they wanted to walk Charon back to his boat anyway, send their brother off before they departed as well. Before Charon stepped into the craft, he bumped his head against both Thanatos’ and Hypnos’, his version of kissing since he had no lips to work with, and also gave Morpheus a slight pat on the head. He turned, floating into his boat, and the twins, though they knew Charon didn’t need it, helped push the boat off the cave and further into the waters. Their brother waved as the river carried his boat, and he pushed the oar to propel him forward and out of sight. As soon as he had left their range, Thanatos and Hypnos glanced at each other, and warped back to the House simultaneously.

-

Hypnos let out a deep breath as he ended up on his chaise, back in the House. Okay. He could do this. And he will definitely not cry as he does so. He looked to his side, where Thanatos was previously, and he was no longer there, but from the hallway next to him, Thanatos peeked his face, giving Hypnos a thumbs-up and a nod. Hypnos nodded back, breathed in and out deeply once more, and floated over to Nyx’s usual spot. But as he made his way over, Nyx seemed to hear his arrival, and they met halfway, just beside Orpheus’ usual spot, and Hypnos kind of wished he wasn’t in Asphodel at the moment, so there was some noise drowning out was was about to happen.

Nyx; whose face was usually calm and composed, and admittedly she would still appear that way to anyone else, but Hypnos could detect the shock as she stared down at the baby in his arms; had given the two some space, but seemed to want to investigate closer. So Hypnos, as much as his gut was telling him to run, floated up to his mother’s level, and showed her Morpheus, as he quietly explained the situation that resulted in his existence. And Nyx locked eyes with her son when he finished, her expression betraying her active mind.

“... Oh, my child. You did not want me to see your son. Still do not, am I correct?” Nyx looked downward as she came to her conclusion, and Hypnos felt both relief that he didn’t have to say the words himself, but also utter horror that his mother was able to assess and predict the situation so accurately. But that horror brought an interesting fact to Hypnos’s mind - that is, Nyx  _ does _ also understand that their relationship has been strained to this degree. At this point, Hypnos just wanted to cave in on himself, but he knew he had to stand his ground. Well, as much as a God who floated most of his life could stand, and he made a note to tuck that joke away, maybe for Zagreus later on.

“So. Yes. You did, um, get that right.” And Hypnos tried to choose his words carefully, slowly saying each word. Nyx only nodded, so he continued. “I just… I feel that Morpheus will have similar needs, to myself. I don’t, well, think that the sort of, tough love that you raised me and Than on, I don’t think that will be… good for Morpheus.” Wow, all of this just sucked and he couldn’t wait for this conversation to be over, Hypnos thought to himself repeatedly, each word he said making him think so even more. 

Nyx hummed, nodded again. Hypnos wished it was easier to get a read on their mother, as much as he could read into subtle emotions from her that others couldn’t. After a moment, she locked eyes with him again, and he could get a reading. Not disappointment, as he feared. No anger either, maybe a bit of sadness, but not as much as he was expecting. No, Nyx mostly had a look of… understanding. Acceptance. And a part of Hypnos kind of wished that she would’ve just been angry, as he could’ve found a way to deal with that. But if she was about to say that she did understand, or even if she was  _ sorry _ \- Hypnos may just combust.

“You… My child, you were always much harder for me to get through to.” And Hypnos noticed that she, too, seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “Not that that was your fault, not at all. You had… feelings, and needs, that were so much different than my other children, even your own twin brother. I think…” and she paused, nodded, and continued. “I agree, that you shall provide for your own son the best. And I only wish I could have provided for you in such a way.” Nyx placed a hand on Hypnos’ cheek, and he truly did feel as though the Styx were about to take him. “Know that, even from a distance, I will be here. Should you ever need me, I’m right here. And know that, I am proud of you, my son.”

Hypnos could only nod, and if he actually was standing on the ground, his legs definitely would’ve gone out. Nyx did not say sorry, not outright, but damn if that didn’t feel like an apology. And she… is proud of him? A part of him resented her for not telling him sooner, but the part of him that forgave Thanatos holds onto her words, carefully, knowing his heart could be broken again. But nonetheless, he holds onto those words.

Nyx gave him a nod and returned to her spot, and Hypnos floated back to his chaise in a daze. Thanatos, who had been watching the whole time as he assured he would, moved from the hallway to sit next to his twin. He held up a hand cautiously, and while Hypnos understood his caution, he would throw himself into his brother’s embrace whenever offered. So Hypnos rested his head in the crook of Thanatos’ neck, and Thanatos wrapped an arm around him, laying his head on top of Hypnos’. 

Hypnos knew he had to get back to work eventually. But he let himself live in that moment for just a little longer, and so did Hades and Queen Persephone, who had been watching from the desk. And, well, if his own boss wasn’t asking him to get back to work, Hypnos would allow he and Thanatos this moment of rest. He felt he had earned it, at this point. And there was much to be done when the moment was over, for both Hypnos and Thanatos, but that was not now.

So they existed. In that moment, they merely existed, together, and that was all they needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup y'all, here's the next chapter! Kind of a long one, mostly because my area was hit pretty rough by the TX power outages and this was what I was working on in that time. Got power back now though, so hope you enjoyed it! Wanna say again, thanks SO MUCH for all the kind feedback on the last chapter! Y'all are the sweetest :^D


End file.
